The "Countdown" begins

I received an advance copy today of the first issue of DC’s “Countdown,” which arrives in comic-book shops Wednesday. It looks to be an interesting mix of cosmic adventure and more street-level tales; I'm hooked already. Like “52,” DC’s previous weekly series, I think it will appeal more to fervent DC fans than newbies, though. If you don’t know what a Monitor is or aren’t familiar with, say, the multiverse, you could be in for a rough read.